1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to biocidal compositions for industrial materials. It also pertains to a method for preventing deterioration of industrial materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has already been disclosed by the present inventors in GB 2180236 A that the compounds represented by the following formula (A) have plant disease controlling effects, plant growth controlling effects and herbicidal effects and can hence be used as agricultural and horticultural chemicals. ##STR2## wherein X means a halogen atom or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl, haloalkyl, phenyl, cyano or nitro group, n stands for 0 or an integer of 1-5, A denotes a nitrogen atom or CH, and when n is an integer of 2-5, Xs may be the same or different.
The present inventors also studied a group of azole derivatives including the compounds represented by the formula (A). As a result, it was found that in addition to the compounds represented by the formula (A), such azole derivatives also include those useful as agricultural and horticultural chemicals and further those not only capable of acting as an agricultural and horticultural chemical but also having effective antifungal activities in animals including human being [Japanese Patent Application Nos. 317754/1987 (corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 201982 of Jun. 3, 1988), 6054/1988 and 7822/1988].
By the way, industrial materials, for example, natural materials such as paper, fibers, lumber and leather, synthetic materials such as paints and plastic materials, metal materials, inorganic materials and products formed of such materials are often contaminated by noxious microorganisms and deteriorated in quality. There has hence been a strong demand for the development of chemicals effective against microorganisms noxious to these industrial materials.
The present inventors have proceeded with a further investigation on the utility of the azole derivatives mentioned above. As a result, it has been found that a certain groups of azole derivatives have strong activities against microorganisms noxious to such industrial materials as referred to above, said microorganisms being totally different in field from microorganisms causing disease on agricultural and horticultural crops or fungi causing disease on human being and animals, leading to completion of this invention.